Several neighborhoods, including much of Van Nuys, portions of Sherman Oaks, Magnolia Woods,[2] and Victory Park,[3] are zoned to this school.

The football and track stadium, originally built at the same time as the current high school, is named for Bob Waterfield, and the baseball field for Don Drysdale, the two most famous athletes to have played for VNHS.

Even though this relieved the overcrowding at the school, the magnet programs separated tracks, along with the residential students.

[8] Van Nuys High School had the highest AP passing rate in the LAUSD for a second consecutive year in 2014.

Van Nuys has a newly created history bowl team as of 2019[update], and has placed in playoffs in its first year of competing.

The Van Nuys High wrestling team won the Los Angeles City Championship in 1976.

In 2015, the Van Nuys Wolves be Chavez High School to win the inaugural LA CIF Division II Championships.

For the first time in school history, the Boys Volleyball team won the CIF- L.A. City Section Division 1 championship in 2021.

The music video of Vitamin C's Graduation song was filmed at Van Nuys High School.

A 2009 music video "About a Girl" by The Academy Is... was also filmed in Van Nuys High School.

The 2014 music video for the song "Unlimited" made by the clothing company Old Navy was filmed at Van Nuys High School.

In 2022, The HBO limited series Winning Time introduced dancer Paula Abdul on the football field of Van Nuys High School.